The present invention relates in general to a stylus or nib for writing instruments and more particularly to a synthetic resin or metal nib of a planar, or plate-like type which is desirable and beneficial for writing thick lines.
A typical writing instrument of this type is a so-called felt pen which has a writing nib formed of a multiplicity of fibers or filaments having a wedge-shaped or chisel-shaped end. Another typical instrument of similar type is a fountain pen having a relatively wide end for writing thick lines.
The writing nib of a bundle of fibers or filaments provides a disadvantage such that ends of a line written therewith become unclear and obscure due to discrete arrangement or movement of each fiber or filament. The nib of a fountain pen as described above makes it difficult to obtain a written line of predetermined width because of a slit provided at its end for ink feeding action. Namely, in order to provide a written line of a definite width, the writing pressure applied to the writing nib must be maintained constant.
When a thick written line is to be obtained, a sufficiently large ink feed channel must be formed to provide a favorable discharge of ink. However, if the writing nib is formed thicker so as to satisfy the requirement of ink-discharge, the nib becomes substantially rigid, resulting in difficulty in providing uniform contact of the nib with respect to a writing surface such as a sheet of paper. If the writing nib is formed very thin so as to provide desirable flexibility, a sufficiently large ink channel will not be obtained.
It is possible to eliminate, to a limited extent, the foregoing problems by, for example, selectively employing the most desirable materials for the nib of forming the tip end of the nib in a tapered or inclined configuration. However, in order to provide the writing nib with desirable hardness, and stability and to ensure reliability of a definite width of written lines, it is necessary to employ materials which have a desired hardness, and the selection of materials is limited. Besides, when the nib is cut aslant to form a tapered or inclined end so as to provide flexibility, it is difficult to obtain a desirable angle of inclination. If the angle is very sharp, the same results occur as with a nib of reduced thickness.